Reconquered Spain Celebrates The Holy Week – Britain Conquered by Unholy Warriors

                  SEMANA SANTA / HOLY WEEK IN SPAIN

Truly one of Spain's most breathtaking celebrations, Easter is a one-of-a-kind display of tradition, music, culture, theatre and religion

The holiday, jubilant in Sevilla and Andalucía and solemn elsewhere in Spain, is practically defined by its stunning processions comparable to the Ethiopian Timket / Epiphany or Meskel celebrations. Each of these processions typically boasts two intensely adorned floats, one of The Virgin Mary and the other of a scene from Christ's Passion. Take in the lavish decoration of these incredible creations as they slowly pass before you accompanied by the music of coronets and drums; its hard to do without getting chills. Underneath each float, you'll just barely be able to make out rows and rows of feet. There are up to forty men, called costaleros, who haul the float on shoulders and control its swaying motion. In fact, they practice so much and are so in sync with each other that the realistic figures on top look eerily as if they were walking along to the music.

Impossible to miss are the seemingly endless rows of nazarenos, or penitents, who walk along with the float.. You may even see many nazarenos walking barefoot, which is pretty impressive, considering some of the processions last up to 14 hours! Oh, and don't be thrown off by the resemblance between the pointy hoods and long robes of the nazarenos and those of the Ku Klux Klan: it's coincidental and completely unrelated.

Don't be surprised to see how nicely the people dress to watch the processions, especially during the second half of the week. Women often dress to the nines while many men brave the sun in full suits. Of course not everybody dresses up so much, but, basically, if you want to fit in watching the processions, just leave the t-shirt you wore to paint your garage behind.

As with any cultural celebration, Spain's elaborate Semana Santa was for centuries a work-in-progress. The starting point for its extensive history is clearly the death of Christ, from which it takes its subject, however the celebration that we see today is the result of centuries of evolution.

A significant point in the history of the Semana Santa is 1521, when the Marqués de Tarifa returned to Spain from the Holy Land. After his journey, he institutionalized the Via Crucis (Stations of the Cross) in Spain and from that moment on this holy event was celebrated with a procession. Over time, the observance of the Via Crucis eventually broke up into the various scenes of the Passion, with the incorporation of portable crosses and altars. This would eventually lead to today's elaborate processions.

Check out any map of Semana Santa routes and you will see the Carrera Oficial, or official route, clearly marked. This original route, while it has evolved since 1604, continues to serve as the backbone for the present route. The final major step took place in the 17th century, when Seville's various cofradías (brotherhoods) began dividing and organizing themselves into what they are today.

Twenty Five British Schools in Birmingham to Be Investigated Over 'Extremist Muslim' Plot Fears

“We are sinners, acting wrongly and doing evil; we have gone against you, turning away from your orders and from your laws.

O Lord, shame is on us, on our kings and our rulers and our fathers, because of our sin against you

scourges and plagues are only increasing – Islam as a designed counterpart of Christianity always reigns where light is absent, and triumphs where apostasy prevails – like in the current Western World.

In Birmingham, UK, the number of schools to be investigated over fears children are being “radicalised” by extremist Muslims attempting to seize control of institutions has increased to 25.”

Teams of inspectors are to be sent into schools and will be able to penalise those where religious conservatism is believed to be getting in the way of teaching.”

The Department for Education (DfE) launched the investigation after an alleged Islamic takeover plot to force out governors and head teachers was reported in Birmingham.”

An anonymous letter claiming responsibility for changes in leadership at four schools in the city says it was part of a campaign called Operation Trojan Horse. The letter set out a blueprint for seizing control of schools and claimed a radical group of Muslims were pursuing their own agenda in classrooms and forcing out head teachers and governors who refused to cooperate.

Birmingham City Council said it was appointing a new chief advisor to directly handle at least 200 complaints received in relation to the Operation Trojan Horse allegations focusing on schools in the city.

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